While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in New Jersey using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in January 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County unemployment rates are released about a month behind the national numbers. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of February 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in North Dakota to 5.3% in Nevada.
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 68,308 people (2,801 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 270,500 people (11,263 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 507,779 people (21,793 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 180,828 people (8,025 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 215,673 people (9,423 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 250,343 people (11,184 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 346,644 people (15,595 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 461,932 people (21,193 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 59,212 people (2,935 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 381,799 people (18,952 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 78,216 people (4,027 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 163,605 people (8,325 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 298,495 people (15,697 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 292,928 people (15,919 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 274,809 people (15,070 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 393,570 people (24,680 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 257,461 people (16,700 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,828 people (2,033 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 121,976 people (9,156 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,502 people (5,636 unemployed)
- January unemployment rate (preliminary): 12.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,418 people (5,826 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
